Method of and apparatus for lifting fogs.



P. J. DRAKE.

METHOD or AND APPARATUS r011 LIPTING POGS. APPLICATION FILED APB.22,1908. 990,121, Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. J. DRAKE.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LI FTING FOGS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1908.

PatentedApr.18,l911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

QM M W l\\l Faun 0006 Mr M Y (J Homage FRANKLIN J. DRAKE, OF THE UNITEDSTATES NAVY.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LIFTING FOGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Application filed April 22, 1908. Serial No. 428,702.

'1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, FRANKLIN J. DRAKE, rear admiral, United States Navy,retired, at present residing at 'ashington, in the District of Columbia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of andApparatus for Lifting Fogs; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to a method of and apparatus for lifting fogs andthe primary object of my invention is to secure greater safety tonavigation upon the high seas, approaches to shore lines and harbors,and

'upon all inland waters, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

Having made a careful study of fogs and the physical laws governing thesame with a view to discovering some means by which the conditions ofthe atmosphere that produce or generate fogs could be themselvesutilized or artificially assisted to disperse them, I have beenimpressed with the facts that fogs generally if not always consist ofrelatively thin and quiescent blankets only a few hundred feet thick, orless, which cut off or absorb the heat radiated from the earth, and in alarge measure prevent the natural, upward circulation due to risingconvection currents of warmer air, which would if once established liftor dissipate the ordinary fog. Above these quiescent blankets of fog,the colder air is in constant circulation and it becomes evident that ifsaid blankets could be brought under the influence of these uppercurrents, they would soon lift or disappear.

'hile in command of the U. S. S. Albatross, and engaged in making deepsea eX- plorations, I observed that in the great fog generating belt ofthe Behring Sea, in the Japan and Gulf streams, as well as in the polarcurrents. the fogis suspended in barely perceptible air currents nearthe surface of the water, and does not reach to the higher altitudes atall. found to be the same whether the fog was heavy or light. As a rule,however, In observin fogs in all parts of the world, I have ound thatthe ordinary fog blankets which make navigation difficult and dangerous, exist generally without air currents, and are approximately notover two hun- These conditions were also dred feet in height above thesea level. In fact while approaching from the sea in the presence ofwind the high land of coast ranges or channels, the fog may be observedto bank, and rise with a velocity depending upon the'force of the windand friction of the slope of the range. Upon reaching the summit it thenpours down the other side having the appearance of a huge water fall.

Since the line of least resistance of all hot air currents is upward itis clear that any pneumatic force which induces or increases thevelocity of these ascending currents Will tend to cause portions of thefog to be brought into the path of the overlying colder currents andthereby cause the same to be carried away. Not only would this be thecase, but the greater the lifting efi'ect produced on the fog, thegreater will be the tendency of the natural convection currents of thewarmer air next the earth to rise and assist the lifting, since theywill not be so completely checked or blocked off by the fog blanket.

From actual experiments extending over a long period, I have practicallydemonstrated that if a column of air of a higher temperature than thesurrounding medlum, and having a certain weight is projected toward thezenith with a given velocity that it not only will have a rotarymovement in its ascent, but through the action of suction and vibrationfrom the discharge, it will set up additional rising air currents. whichwill rarefy and lift the fog to the higher moving air currents, causethe same to be carried away and will leave a clear sky and horizon. Infact wlth a comparatively small apparatus, I found no difficulty inclearing a space of a quarter of a mile in this manner.

Since the density of a cubic foot of air at atmospheric pressuredecreases with an increase of temperature, and since the volume variesinversely as the pressure, the rarefaction caused by the explosion andthe heat liberated from the ascending projected column become importantfactors in producing induced ascending convection currents, which whenonce established have a tendency to automatically continue.

Further objects of my invention are to lift or dissipate fogs at anypoints or places desired,.and to the above ends my invention consistsbroadly in dissipating or lifting fogs by'the agency of a projectedcolumn or columns of air and thereby bringing portions of such fog underthe influence of the overlying strata of air and at the same timeinducing upwardly ascending air currents and creating a tendency for thelifting action to become automatic.

My invention further consists broadly in a suitable mechanism forcarrying out the above method.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a partof thisspecification in which like numerals refer to like parts in all theviews, Figure 1 represents a sectional view of my fog lifting machine;Fig. 2, a view of a quiescent fog blanket; Fig. 3, a view of the fogblanket shown in Fig. 2, after my machine has projected a column ofheated air upwardly through the same, and Fig. 4, a view illustratingthe zones of action of my fog lifting machine when of different orders.r

1, represents any suitable combustion chamber, preferably a cylinder,supported on a base, 2, and provided with a drain, 3, for cleaningpurposes. This chamber preferably provided with a stop valve connection,4, for admitting acetylene gas, and with a similarconnection, 6, foradmitting chemically equivalent proportions of air to saidchamber-,while 5, represents a connection by which all air and othergases may be exhausted from the chamber before the acetylene gas-isadmitted thereto.

7 represents any suitable igniter for ex: ploding the mixture ofacetylene gas and air in the chamber, and 8 represents the electricconductors for the same.

The upper end of the chamber, 1, is preferably provided with a flange 9,to which is fitted the ring 10, in which further fits the ring 11forming a valve seat for the valve 12, as shown. The ring 11 is providedwith a web, 13, through which passes the rod, 14,

which supports the inverted cup shaped guard, 15, and around which isthe spring,

16, normally holding the valve, 12, to its seat.

17 represents drains in the ring 10, for cleaning purposes. Mounted uponthe ring, 10, is the cylindrical section 18, and upon said section 18,is mounted the conical section 19, provided with a contracted neck oroutlet portion 20, as shown. Fitted over this neck 20, is an upwardlyexpanding conical section 21, firmly braced by the stay rods 22, securedto suitable fastenings 23 near the upper end of said section, and toflanges 24 on the section 19, as illustrated.

The parts 19 and 21 serveto hold a column of air which is projectedupwardly by the gases of explosion in the combustion chamber for apurpose to be presently described.

In operation the combustion chamber is charged with one part ofacetylene (C 11 gas, and about eight parts of air, when the at atemperature f about 2400 degrees F.

and at a pressure of about 82 pounds to the square inch, escape aroundits edges and pass into the conical chamber formed by the sections 18and 19 of the machine. The hot gases are preferably so proportioned tothe column of air in the sections 19 and 21 that as they pass up throughthe contracted neck, 20, they will heat up said column to a temperatureof about 900 F., which of course compresses the said column, and givesit a rotary motion at the same time. The parts are so designed that thevelocity imparted to said column is about 450 feet per second. As soonas the pressure in the combustion chamber is sufliciently lowered, thevalve 12 closes, and the air pump connected to the pipe 5, clears thechamber of substantially all remaining gases, when the acetylene and airis again admitted and then ignited, when the foregoing cycle isrepeated.

In a machine which 1 term of the first order, the parts are soproportioned that the air column contains about 780 cubic feet, and hasa velocity of about 450 feet per second, as it leaves the machine. Thisupwardly projected rotating column of hot air causes a disturbance to aheight of about 12,000 feet, and has an effective radius of about 3miles. That is to say its influence extends over a circular area ofabout six miles in diameter.

A machine which I term of the second order is so designed as to projecta column of air containing about 541 cubic feet, at a velocity of 450feet per second, and reaches a height of about 8,000 feet. A third orderof machine lifts 303 cubic feet of air at the same velocity and disturbsa height of 4,000

successive explosions are had at say five minute intervals, thequiescent layers of air 30, Fig. 2, holding in suspension the condensedvapor particles constituting the fog are soon set into .motion, asdiagrammatically shown at 31, Fig. 3, and that very soon convection, orother ascending currents, 32,-

are induced, which in a' short time become self-acting or automatic; andtherefore tend to keep up this motion of the previously quiescent air,30. By then upwardly projecting columns of air at longer intervals thesecurrents, 32, grow stronger and reach to higher altitudes; so that it isreally only a question of comparatively a short time before the fogfinds itself slowly carried by these ascending currents into the uppermoving air strata, 33, and is then, by them lifted or dissipated. Asabove stated, Ifound no difficulty in lifting or dissipating a fog inthis manner over a space of one-quarter mile radius, leaving a clear skyoverhead, and a clear horizon;

Of course different places produce fogs of different thicknesses, andthe overlying moving air strata are generally found at differentheights. It is to be able to reach under all conditions, suitably movingstrata and 'to bring. the fog banks under their influence,

that I employ machines of different orders, and the power of anyparticular machine therefore, of course, is determined by the localconditions existin at the place in question. In Fig. 4, I have shown diaammaticall the relative spheres of inuence exerted y machines of variousorders, and it will be seen at once that when small machines are used,they must be placed closer together than when larger machines areemployed, in order that there may be no por tion of the bank leftundisturbed.

My method and apparatus should be carefully distinguished from themethods and apparatus pertaining to the so called rain maklng machines,which employ explosive charges of owder and which project upwardlyparticles of matter heavier than the air. These smoke like particlesafter losing their velocity begin to descend; and thereby they create atendency of the fog to settle with them, which of course is just theopposite effect desired to lift a fog. And

again the use of these machines at intervals suitable to start naturalconvection currents has not heretofore beenproposed.

Of course, I do not wish to be understood as limitin myself to anyparticular theory of operation. For although I believe the theory aboveoutlined to be the onl correct explanation of the remarkable resu tswhich I have obtained in practice, yet, at the same time, I am wellaware that later scientific research may throw additional light on thesame. Nor do I wish to be understood as limiting myself to anyparticular mechamsm, or machine for carrying out my method; for althoughFig. 1, was made from actual working drawings of an actual full sizemachine, and which were onl decided upon after the instruction obtainedby numberless experlments, yet, I am well aware able intervals suitablecolumns of gases un-.

der pressure to a distance sufiicient to penetrate said strata, andthereby permitting said natural convection currents to be brought intoaction and together with said strata to lift or dissipate said fog,substantially as described.

2. The method of lifting or dissipating fogs underlying moving colderair strata, and in a measure absorbing the heat radiated from the earthand thereby preventing natural convention currents, which consists inprojecting upwardly through said fog at suitable intervals suitableheated rotating columns of gases under pressure to a distance suflicientto penetrate said strata and thereby permitting said natural convectioncurrents to be brought into action and together with said strata to liftor dissipate sald fog, substantially as described.

3. In a fog lifting machine the combina tion of a chamber, pressurecontrolled means for closing the same, and means extending beyond andcommunicating with said chamher for holding a column of air,substantially as described.

4. In a fog lifting machine the'combination of a combustion chamberadapted to hold gases; means connected therewith for igniting saidgases, pressure controlled means for closing said chamber and anextension communicating with said chamber for holding a column of airuntil said gases are ignited, substantially as described.

In a fog lifting machine the combination of a combustion chamber,suitable gas inlets for said chamber, a pressure controlled means fornormally closing said chamber, an igniting means for the gases containedin said chamber, and a cone shaped extenslon adapted to hold a column ofair adapted to communicate with said chamber when said pressurecontrolled means is lifted, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my slgnature, in presence of twowitnesses.

FRANKLINVJ. DRAKE.

,Witnesses: 4

' ROLAND 0. Boom,

T. A. WITHERSPOON.

